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Tuesday

Growing
in both the Amazon Rainforest, as well as the subtropical South
Atlantic Rainforest, is a palm tree called "Juçara" (joo-SAH-rah), that
produces the widely popular fruit, "Açai" (ah-sigh-EE). Açai is consider
if notthe, then one of the most very nutritious foods found on
the planet. Sparing you the details, Açai is loaded with about every
great vitamin and mineral your body needs, and it has great proteins,
quality fats and is loaded with anti-oxidants.

Açai Must be Made into a PulpThe
açai berry has a very thick, inedible outer skin. At it's center is a
woody seed. In between the seed and the outer skin is the rich and
edible pulp. Note that even this pulp does not taste all that well. It
is sour, not sweet, and almost always mixed with one or more other foods
to improve the taste.

The pulp is extracted either with
industrial-sized machines, artisan-sized machines, or by hand. In either
case the process is about the same. The berries are soaked in warm
water for a half hour. They are then put into a bowl (giant, large or
small), and agitated in some way so as to break the outer skin of all
the berries. A filter screen is put in place and water is passed through
the berries repeatedly, flushing out the pulp. Hence, the pulp of açai always contains
added water. Extra profit can be made by excessive diluting with water,
and the typical supermarket frozen açai pulp is thin and weak. I buy
mine at organic fairs or natural food markets.

The Quality Rating of Açai PulpDue
to the above, açai pulp is rated, "fine" (thin), "medium" and "gross"
(thick). Fine will have 5% to 9% açai and the rest is water. Medium will
have 9% to 14% pulp and the rest is water. Thick will have more than
14% pulp content. It is hard to make açai pulp with a pulp content above
40%. You simply need lots of water to flush out the pulp. Thick açai is
not available anywhere. Buyers here aren't that savvy and the price
would be shocking relative to the prices for fine and medium.

Açai Spoils Very, Very FastDue
to it's high oil and anti-oxidant content, both the açai berry itself
and the pulp made from the berry, spoil very, very fast (though this
doesn't keep people from selling it and consuming spoiled açai). Once
harvested, the berries must be de-pulped ideally within 24 hours and no
longer than 48 hours. Once made, the pulp should be consumed within 24
hours or frozen immediately, or frozen with 24 hours of having been
made.

Two Basic Ways to Eat AçaiMost everyone in south
Brazil as well as all over the world thinks of açai as a dessert, or
smoothie, or juice. Yet in the Amazon and the northeast, where it was
first popularized, it is very rarely eaten sweet. In fact, it's most
common to be eaten on the day it was made fresh, without having ever
been frozen.

In Brazil, all types of food fall into two basic
categories- "Doçe" and "Salgado". "Doçe" means "sweet", and is anything
from desserts to juices, to smoothies and more. "Salgado" translates to
"salty", but in this usage of the word it might be best to think of it
as "not sweet". This can cover bland, salty, sour, bitter and simply
regular food. It's a catch-all phrase in this context.

Açai Super SmoothiesFor
the purpose of this article we'll focus on using açai to make
smoothies. The two most common additional ingredients for açai smoothies
are banana and guarana syrup. Guarana is a seed with an extremely sweet
syrup that can be extracted. Also, the smoothie can be made extremely
thick and served in a bowl with a spoon. This is actually more common
than a smootie, and you'll see it on menus as "tigela de açai". Often,
you'll see the option to substitute strawberries for bananas.

What
I'm talking about here are smoothies that you make yourself in your own
home in a blender where you are free to experiment all you want.
Because you are working with frozen pulp, and likely frozen bananas, the
better the blender the better the experience. For example, I brought in
a Blendtec blender from the U.S., the best blender on the market. I
bought a 110v to 220v transformer so I can use it down here.

Extended List of Possible Açai Smoothie IngredientsI'm
going to end the article here with a great list of potential
ingredients for your smoothies. It's so very fun to experiment that I
won't try to give you measurements and ratios and such. Have fun
experimenting. Know that the more of these ingredients you use in one
smoothie, and I've done this, the heavier and denser the taste. If you
want your smoothie to be light and fresh, try fewer ingredients.

Frozen açai pulp - One pack of 100gms, or 100ml, will due for one tall smoothie. Double it for twice the fun.

Frozen bananas - I use 2-4 small bananas. They don't have to be frozen. I peel them first and then freeze them because I want them frozen.

Bee Pollen - This
is my primary secret ingredient. Bee pollen is the single most
nutritious and complete food source on the planet. The bee pollen I use
comes from the rainforest and is extra nutritious. I use one tablespoon.

Honey - My preferred sweetener here is honey, because the honey here is amazing and honey is a superfood.

Guarana syrup - I've actually never used this at home, though for no particular reason.

Agave Nectar - Only this year did this sweetener become available where I live. Note also that you only need one of these three sweeteners.

Coconut water - You
will need to add either water or coconut water, or both. This is how
you'll control thickness. Coconut water has a fairly neutral flavor and
is very nutritious. It can be expensive, too.

Coconut Milk - This can make the smoothie extra creamy and will definitely add coconut flavor.

Raw coconut oil - Also
very, very nutritious and has a strong flavor. One teaspoon is enough.
It tends to solidify when combined with frozen ingredients, but the
strong blenders will still mix it in completely.

Tahini - This
is my other secret ingredient. I've come to love Tahini, which is a
creamy spread made entirely from lightly roasted sesame seeds. It
contributes a great flavor and lots of thickness. I use 1-3 tablespoons,
though I don't measure, I just pour it in.

Nuts and seeds - Raw
nuts and seeds are very healthy and contain excellent fats and
proteins. My favorites to add to this smoothie are cashew, almond and
sunflower seeds. They are also great for thickening.

Cinnamon - Cinnamon adds a great flavor. I buy it whole and ground it in a coffee grinder.

Nutmeg - Much like cinnamon. A little goes a long way.

Ground Seaweed - Seaweed
is one of the most complete nutritious superfoods. I buy it dried and
either ground it first in a coffee grinder or if it's fairly ground
already I put it straight into the Blendtec, which is very powerful. A
teaspoon of powder is very nutritious and doesn't alter the taste of the
smoothie.

Fresh Arugula - Sounds crazy, I
know, but fresh arugula leaves are extremely healthy and if you don't go
crazy with them, they don't affect the taste. When you get used to them
as I have, you'll enjoy their subtle presence.

Whey protein powder - This is optional for those who are working out and taking whey protein as a supplement.

Raw eggs - This
is another optional ingredient for those wanting added protein. Be
careful to use only organic eggs from a known source. I get them from my
own chickens.

The Taste is AMAZING!, and the Rush Even BetterMy
açai smoothies are the best tasting smoothies in the world (biased
opinion). I've experimented with any and all combinations of the above,
also altering quantities of each ingredient. Do what works best for you!Ref: Gringoes.com